As a fragile ceasefire holds, the true human cost of the recent conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel is beginning to emerge — and the numbers are staggering.
Iran’s state-run Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs says more than 3,400 people have been killed since the war erupted in late February, following US-Israeli strikes on Tehran.
According to the foundation’s head, Ahmad Mousavi:
3,468 “martyrs… fell during the recent conflict.”
This latest figure marks an increase from earlier official data. On April 12, the Iranian Legal Medicine Organization had reported 3,375 deaths.
But outside Iran, even higher estimates are being reported.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said at least 3,636 people were killed as of April 7 — including 1,701 civilians. Among them were at least 254 children, alongside 1,221 military personnel and hundreds more whose status remains unclear.
The differing figures highlight the difficulty of verifying information coming out of Iran, where access to strike locations remains restricted.
International media organisations, including Agence France-Presse, have noted they are unable to independently confirm casualty numbers due to limited on-ground access.
For now, the numbers — whether from official or independent sources — point to a devastating reality.
Behind each figure is a life lost, a family changed, and a country still reckoning with the aftermath of a war that, even in pause, continues to leave deep scars.